FitnessMash

Today we have another guest post from Chris Kelly. You may recall Chris’s original “Planking Principles” series from a few months ago; well, now he’s back with more great tips for the side plank. Whether you’re training for the Masters or simply for life, this exercise and its variations should be a staple in your program.

Chris has just released a DVD on core training called “Restore the Core,” which we’ll be reviewing here on the site very soon. Until then, you’ll get a glimpse (or two, or three) of what it’s all about in posts to come. Enjoy!

As a personal trainer and sometimes slave to 30-minute training sessions, it is safe to say my “go-to” exercises are those that teach better movement with minimal time investment – so the plank and side plank rank high on my list for clients of all levels. While holding static positions is about as interesting as watching paint dry, additional movement of the arms and legs while keeping a stable core will make even the strongest stomach burn.

But in a society of injured desk jockeys, the challenge of the side plank is often shifted to the shoulder. The frustrating thing about this is that the side plank seems to offer even greater carryover to stability than the front plank.

In this recent article describing Mike Robertson’s Balloon Core Theory, strength coach Chris Collins uses the analogy of a balloon to describe the manner in which we develop stability. With a full balloon, we feel more firmness (stability) when pressing the top and bottom versus the sides or back. This makes sense because, as gravity depresses the core vertically, we naturally develop more intra-abdominal pressure (anterior stability) vertically versus laterally.

This also explains why it is so common to watch the hips of clients sway from side to side as they walk into the gym, or their knees fall into valgus collapse during splits squats, lunges or even just gait. These are usually the same clients that complain of knee, hip or lower back pain. Because lateral stability is closely tied to the ability to disassociate our hips from our spine, the side plank can be seen as an essential exercise to include in both rehabilitation and movement correction.

The question then becomes, How do we teach this exercise with limited time and space, and in the presence of poor posture?

Join me in this six-step process to take the side plank from a pain in the neck (or shoulder) to a tool to stabilize and chisel the core.

Step #1: Getting off the wall

New side plankers often experience a steep learning curve when trying to find the correct position, so let’s take a look from the top down:

• Reducing base of support (by holding on only one elbow versus two with the front plank) requires an understanding of how to keep the shoulders “back and down.”
• To prevent rotation of the torso, one must also extend the hips and protrude the chest fully forward (like a sideways squat or bridge).

In order to effectively teach this position, our side plank progression begins by putting the client’s back against a wall. By acting as a backstop, the wall forces the client to maintain the correct form while increasing base of support.

Our standard progression then moves from bent-leg to straight-leg side planks against the wall. Once the client has gained an understanding of positioning, we can either move them back through this progression or to a more advanced level off the wall.

Step #2: Time is of the essence

With longer holds, the side plank often becomes an exercise to train shoulder versus core endurance. The way around this problem is to incorporate multiple shorter holds to focus on quality (good form) versus quantity (time without rest). This means that instead of holding for 30 seconds at a time, we break up the exercise into three 10-second holds separated by a brief rest period.

While this is a great way to teach this exercise, this method can also be incorporate with more advanced side plank variations for those with poor shoulder mobility.

Step #3: Rise above poor form

For clients who have trouble learning the side plank on the floor, this exercise can be regressed by moving to a higher surface (such as a chair or bench) to reduce the load on the shoulder. By cueing the client to hold his or her wrist and “press down” into the bench or chair, we accentuate the bracing effect in a de-weighted environment.

Once the client has gained confidence in an elevated position, we can either move lower or incorporate more advanced variations while remaining at an elevation. I have found this technique to be particularly useful for older clients whose postural issues are not easily addressed.

Be sure to check back later this week for the final three steps to maximize your side plank efforts!